What's your routine?

[UpstateNYer]

For all you repeaters, what's your routine when you first arrive "home"? After you go through the formal check-in process, what's your first must-do? Do you head to the bar for a Red Stripe? Go say hi to Couples staff friends? Unpack right away? Head straight to the beach?

My FI and I like to get unpacked and settled into the room right away, it's move in day after all. From there we change into bathing suits and shorts, get a drink at the bar and maybe a snack and then sit and just b-r-e-a-t-h-e and take in the beautiful beach and property (even if it's raining).

Our next trip isn't until summer 2012 and I've been daydreaming about CN lately, which got me thinking about how wonderful it is to arrive on that first day of a Couples vacation.

[Pamela]

It depends upon the time of arrival. On our most recent trip to CN last month, we took a 5:50 am flight out of JFK. We were at CN by 9:45 am. Our room wasn't ready, and because we did not eat breakfast on the plane (we slept), we enjoyed breakfast at the Cassava Terrace, then changed into our swimsuits and headed for the beach. When our room was ready, we quickly unpacked before returning to the beach.

On trips where we've arrived later in the day, we do pretty much what you do. We unpack, change into swimsuits, grab a drink, then head to the beach until it's time to shower and change for dinner.

[KrisJamie]

Get the bags in the room, hug/chat with Kirk on the way back down to the lobby, and then visit staff.

[smroot]

We get to CN in time for lunch and have already been up for 9 to 10 hours traveling so if we can't get into a room, we head to Cassanova's have lunch I have my first Red Stripe there and then head to the beach, I have already changed into beach wear at the airport when we arrived, or sometimes on the plane just before we land. If our room is ready, we head there before lunch, but that is the only difference in the routine.

[jena]

We do the same as the OP for the most part. At CN I always go check out the view of the pool as we wait to get checked in. We always try and get into the pool or the sea as fast as possible, as long as it isn't to late when we arrive, a couple times that has meant quickly changing and dealing with unpacking after making it to the beach just before sunset.

But at any hotel we like to unpack right away to get it over with if we can.

[Blondie]

You pretty muched nailed our routine. 82 days and counting.

[Vee]

Arrive and check in and make dinner reservations for that night. Take a peek at our room. I unpack, and Doug goes to SeaGrapes and gets 2 snapper sandwiches and 2 red stripes and brings them back to the room. We sit on the verandah and listen to the waves and eat it. Then we usually nap. (You know, tired from travelling and all.)

After that, depending on the time, we hit the beach for an hour or two before dinner........ Aaaah. 7 days to go.

[redinthehead]

Since this will only be our second time in 33 day I would say we don’t have a routine just yet, but what I day dream about us doing the first few hours of our stay is changing in to our swim suits, heading to the grill for a cheese burger in paradise then a slow walk on the beach back to the other side of the resort, then hopping in the hot tub by Palms with a drink. Its what we did on our did on our first stay, when we didn’t know what to do first and both of us were so overwhelmed with the beauty of Jamaica and the joy of knowing we had 8 days to take it all in. Jamaica soon come.

[Sublimebrad]

We usually get there around 3. As soon as we get to the room we go grab a pattie and red stripe then come back to wait on the luggage. Once it comes we unpack, change clothes and head to the beach for a while then the swim up bar till close. It's usually an early night to bed since we wake up at 3 for the flight that morning. Dinner at Patois that night followed by drinks at their bar and lights out.

[stevevictoria]

After the check in process at CSS, usually around 2:30pm, go to our room. Check the room out A/C , open the blinds, see what's in the mini bar, ect.
Then head up to the Ballon Bar have couple drinks, relax, talk to staff. Then it's to the guest services and make reservations for that nights dinner. Go back to room and unpack, order appetizers from room service and call to order liqour for the mini bar. After all that we are set for the week.
"Once you go...you know"
Steve & Victoria

[bigwillie]

We go to the room, lock up our valuables, head straight to SSB, and do a cannon ball into the pool, while shouting..." Hi Everyone We'll Here!

[sherrynchuck]

We aren't much for unpacking at all except for the stuff that hangs up in the closet, otherwise we mostly live out of the suitcase. We save the bit of unpacking that we do for just before we go to bed the first night or do it as we shower and change for dinner. We have a long day of travel getting to Jamaica so we quickly put on swim wear and head to the beach for the last bit of daylight to get us into the mode of relaxing, grab a snack or drink to enjoy as we are walking. When the sun has gone down we head back to the room to shower and change for dinner.

[lanellboo]

Get a Bob Marley shot & get in the pool!

[deedeej]

Like Pamela..we are on the 5:50 am flight also and taking timair... so if our room is not ready..eat , explore the resort...grab a drink ( it's 5:00 somewhere ) change into our suits and hit the beach...
27 days counting down until CN--WooooHoooo!

[sweetlastname]

I've been bugging my husband by asking him what we will do when we get there, and it drives him nuts! Our first time there we didn't arrive until after 4 pm, and had been traveling since 5 am (plus drank way too much the day before - I do not advise it!) so we ate at the beach grill and passed out.

This time, we arrive at the airport around 11:30 am, so I'm excited to get to CTI early enough to enjoy the day! My plan is to change quick, grab jerk chicken and a dirty banana, then hit the beach!

This is what keeps me going every day at work, when I know I'm working to make it back to Jamaica!

[dirtleg]

We are usually pretty tired by the time we get to CSA. Early morning at the airport for 6 a.m. flight out of St. Louis, change planes in Charlotte and hit MBJ about 1:30 this year. We have never arrived at CSA earlier than about 2 in the afternoon. If our room is ready we usually take a short nap, then out to Seagrapes for a snack and walk the beach for a while looking for old and new friends. If no room is available we will change into swim suits, hit Seagrapes and then loaf on the beach till we have a room. A little private time in our room is always near the top of our list of things to do. Hey, that's why we are there...

[cuse]

Hi UpstateNYer. I see you are from Syracuse, me too. We will be heading back "home" to CTI this September for the 4th time. Where in Syracuse are you from? We're from Lakeland.

[wileeandrr]

This is what keeps me going every day at work, when I know I'm working to make it back to Jamaica!

Amen!

We usually walk around and take it easy. Of course, always having a drink in hand. We usually arrive around 3 PM. I'm a big planner, so drive hubby ka-razy with what I want to do and not miss anything! lol He likes to unpack everything ....we do carry on, so I don't have much, just what needs hanging up.
Just booked CN for 8/4 thru 8/9

[rsmith2078]

Love it!!!! Great idea to cut down on the amount of time it takes to get to the swim-up bar:-)

[me]

Hopefulyl we will be there around lunch time this trip. I plan on getting into my swimming trunks, getting lunch. Maybe showing some of my friends around that are coming before getting in the ocean.

[brennie]

We usually don't arrive til 5.00pm and always Feb/Mar. Get luggage in room ,valuables in safe and head to Sunset bar at CSA to grab drink and watch the first of many glorious sunsets.

[MnK]

No matter the time of day, we grab a drink and try to get our "before" picture taken (what we look like when we arrive). Go to our room, put on our bathing suits. Then immediately head to the beach.

This year we arrive early to CN...flight gets in at 10:45 and we're taking TimAir. So I'm thinking we may change into our bathing suits at the Couples Lounge, so if the room isn't ready it's a straight shot---pool bar to the beach.

33 more days...can't wait!!!!

[dandj]

The only thing we unpack is swimwear. Head to the bar for a drink, get something to eat and find our friends. We unpack when we get back to the room and before we get ready for dinner. Who doesn't want to get started on their vacation when they've been traveling all day. It gets dark early so why waste any daylight.